St. Peter's Girls High School scouts Staten Island for a new home

Staten Island Advance/Hilton FloresArchdiocese is closing St. Peter's Girls High School as of June but zealous alumnae are working to secure the venerable school's future at a new location.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three-quarters of the way to their million-dollar goal to stave off closure of their beloved St. Peter’s Girls High School, the school’s Alumnae Association has begun scouting Staten Island locations for a new home for the school in the fall.

Among the sites being considered for lease are St. Margaret Mary School, Midland Beach; St. Sylvester, in Concord, and St. Roch, in Port Richmond — all elementary schools that the Archdiocese of New York put on the chopping block alongside the girls’ high school.

With incoming freshmen already mulling their high school choices for next year, the Alumnae Association is working passionately to keep their alma matter on the radar and ensure that the $750,000 they’ve amassed in pledges will indeed come through. Even so, they have yet to officially present their plan for a private, financially independent, Catholic St. Peter’s Girls School run in loose partnership with the Archdiocese.

"I’m trying to make sure all our i’s are dotted and our t’s are crossed and that we have enough money raised," said Christine Begeman Thomson, president of the 3,500-strong Alumnae Association, who is spearheading the effort. "I know they [the Archdiocese] know what we’re doing; they know we’re going to call them to make our presentation very soon."

She said they are also considering private sites for the 110-student school. The budget, she imagines, would have to come in under $150,000 a year.

Most current students and their families have promised to stay on at St. Peter’s if that were an option, she said. The Alumnae Association has also reached out to principals at other Island Catholic girls’ schools to ensure seats would be reserved for the young women as a backup, in the event the dream of keeping the school alive does not materialize.

"We are totally moving forward," said Ms. Thomson, adding that she checked out a private property not far from the school’s current Richmond Terrace location. "What we’re looking for is the first year is to be independent of them [the Archdiocese] financially; if we did fail we would be failing on our terms, not theirs. Eventually ... we’d want to be completely independent of them, but we want to keep our Catholic identity."

Were the high school to rent from one of the other, closed Archdiocese schools, the money would go to the parish, not the Archdiocese, according to Archdiocese officials, who were amenable to — albeit not enthusiastic about — the Alumnae Association’s efforts.

"The Archdiocese does not believe it is possible to have a viable high school with less than 100 girls. However, if the community would like to establish a private Catholic high school and board of trustees, the Archdiocese would not present any obstacles to the plan," said Superintendent Dr. Timothy McNiff.

That St. Peter’s Girls High School Alumnae had eyed St. Margaret Mary School as a possible new home, came as a surprise to the principal, who learned about their interest from a reporter yesterday.

"I had no idea; but if any school can save their school, that would be great; it would be wonderful," said Principal Rita Vallebuona. "I hope things work out for somebody because that would be good news."